Vegan Mac and Cheese Without Cashews Recipe (Nut Free, Dairy Free)

This vegan mac and cheese without cashews is a creamy pasta with a thick and flavorful sauce made from nutritional yeast and roasted vegetables.  A healthy skinny mac and cheese recipe that is plant based, vegetarian, dairy free, and SO yummy!

 

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This vegan and dairy free mac and cheese recipe is THE perfect guilt-free dinner when you need a little comfort food in your life.  The secret to a thick and creamy plant-based cheese sauce are the spices and flavor you get from blended roasted vegetables in the sauce. This pasta is super thick, creamy, and the sauce-to-noodle ratio is insane!  Seriously, these noodles are absolutely swimming in the sauce.  This is one fun and healthy mac and cheese dinner that you can feel good about eating!

Eat Seasonal with This Summer Vegetable Macaroni and Cheese!

This summer vegetable macaroni and cheese recipe is a great way to get in some seasonal fresh produce!  Summer time means fresh garden tomatoes and zucchini, both of which are blended in the creamy sauce for this vegan macaroni and cheese. Combine all these amazing fresh ingredients into this healthy and delicious pasta. You can add some fresh herbs in the sauce too for a little extra zing!  Check out my favorite summer recipes here on The Herbeevore for other garden veggie favorites.

• Shell Pasta, or conchiglie if ya fancy. As someone who is part Italian (and someone who is obsessed with pasta) I pride myself on knowing the Italian names of most pasta shapes… but I gotta admit, I had to google this one. I used a medium shell pasta for this recipe, which works so well with the sauce. Save your larger shells to stuff with ricotta, and save your smaller shells for soup – a nice medium shell is just right.  This gluten free shell pasta is perfect for those avoiding wheat.
• Olive Oil: I like to use this fruity Zoe olive oil which has a fantastic flavor and deep color- it’s really inexpensive online here, so I keep a few liters stocked up in my pantry.  For the quality of oil you get, it’s an excellent value, I would highly recommend!
• Garlic: I use fresh garlic when I have it, and this great jarred organic garlic when I don’t have fresh. It’s actually super convenient to have pre-chopped garlic on hand for quick and easy meal prep.
• Onion
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Zucchini
• Italian Seasoning Blend: usually has thyme, basil, rosemary, parsley, etc. I love this bright and flavorful Italian season mix which brings this amazing dish to life.
• Mustard Powder: I love adding this mustard powder to any mac and cheese type dish – it adds a nice sharpness and bright yellow color.
• Pink Himalayan Sea Salt: I like to use a pink Himalayan Sea Salt in my kitchen, which has more natural minerals than plain processed table salt.  It’s fairly inexpensive, so I’d recommend this salt if you’re looking for an easy way to level up your spice pantry.
• Tellicherry Peppercorns: Like the salt, it’s amazing the flavor difference you can get with really good tellicherry black pepper.  Amazon has a generic brand tellicherry peppercorn which is the same price is buying pre-ground, and has a million times more flavor… so I use these really great tellicherry peppercorns, which I would definitely recommend. 
• Nutritional Yeast: not to be confused with bread baking yeast, nutritional yeast has a cheesy nutty umami flavor which is great in all kinds of dishes – I even sprinkle it on fresh popped pop corn and WOW!  Also great in soups and sauces of all kinds.
• Milk Alternative: soymilk is a great option since it is nut free, and you can even buy shelf-stable soy milk powder too!  Or use oat milk, rice milk, or coconut milk… any kind you would normally drink!  However, make sure it is plain and unsweetened.

Meal Prep Mac and Cheese Recipes For the Win!

This dairy free macaroni and cheese is the perfect recipe for healthy homemade meal prep.  I am a huge fan of meal prepping, batch cooking, and making recipes ahead.  I love the convenience of cooking once and being able to enjoy healthy homemade meals during the week when I don’t have time. There’s a whole section of TheHerbeevore.com dedicated to my favorite tried & true meal prep recipes.  With just a little planning and prep, you can have a week’s worth of recipes ready in the time it would take to make one portion.  Just batch cook, divide into individual containers, and place in the fridge or freezer for later!  I also made a list of my favorite meal prep products on Amazon that I use weekly. They make cooking easy peasy.

 

How Do I Make This Creamy Vegan Mac and Cheese Recipe?

1. Preheat the oven to 425 Fahrenheit.
2. Cook the pasta according to package instructions.  Drain and set aside.
3. On a large Sheet pan, pour the olive oil and toss with the onion, garlic, tomatoes, zucchini, mustard powder, Italian seasoning, and salt.  Toss well so all the veggies are coated in the spices and oil.
4. Roast the vegetables for 30 minutes, flipping halfway during cooking.
5. Add the vegetables to a blender.  Pour in the nutritional yeast and soy milk milk.  Blend on high for 2 to 3 minutes until sauce is thick and creamy.  Add more milk for a thinner sauce.
6. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.
7. Pour sauce over cooked noodles and enjoy!